Hazel was learning something new about herself. She learned that when she’s high, it’s hard to focus on anything. She couldn’t even follow what Marlon was saying to her if it was more than two sentences in a row. He had to repeat his words slowly and she would laugh because it sounded funnier than it actually is.
She learned that it took a lot of effort to walk on a straight line and that she couldn’t stop smiling. And they laughed at nothing and everything at the same time. They must’ve looked like two stoned teenagers being playful with each other by the empty beach, which is exactly what they were.
Marlon spread the blanket on the sand for them to lay on. They could feel the sand warm against their backs through the thick sheet. All the world seemed to pause around them, the sound of the breeze soothed their ears.
“I don’t think I can get up after this,” she said.
“We don’t have to,” he said with his arms folded behind his head.
“How long does this last?”
“As long as it does …”
They lay there in silence, each of their own thoughts. They stared at the birds flying by in the blue sky that slowly turning orange.
“Do you do this a lot?” Hazel broke the silence after a while.
Marlon shrugged, “I used to do this all the time with my brother,” he paused as if remembering what he’d lost. “Lately I just go around by myself … and now … with you.”
She was flattered in a way, “You must miss him terribly,” she was stating the obvious.
“Hmm,” he smiled. Eli was the only person who understood what he was going through simply because they were going through everything together. He never felt so alone. “I do,” he simply said. Eli was still the hardest thing to express.
As soon as his brother was brought up in the conversation, Hazel could feel a wall between them. “I miss my brother too,” she tried to slightly lightened the mood, “He’s in college though … not that I’m trying to compare with how you must feel …” then she realized how awful her effort was.
“Oh … the brother whose best friend dumped his girlfriend at prom because of you?” Marlon asked cheekily.
She was stunned by the comment, “How did you … where did you hear about that?” She was surprised and a little embarrassed.
Marlon laughed, “You are pretty popular at school, you know? You’re quite the talk.”
“No, they only know me because of my brother, and what happened at prom last year … and then now because I’m your ‘tutor girl'”
“I beg to differ … I mean, the school soccer star dumped his cheerleader girlfriend at prom, tsk … tsk … tsk … and then you ended up with the school’s number one dancer?” he shook his head. “You’re smart, on your way to be a straight A student, and the next student council President … of course they talk about you,” he sat up and turned to her.
She blushed under his gaze. She never saw herself as someone who was remotely popular at school. Maybe because she had always been behind Max’s shadow. The way Marlon put it, she could see herself in a different light, and she liked it.
“Don’t look at me like that, it’s creepy,” she turned his words back at him.
And she’s beautiful too, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He didn’t want to freak her out. He laughed instead. “You’re creepy,” he said.
She sat up and face him, “Well … I’m not with the dancer anymore, I guess that’ll give them something to talk about fairly soon … he dumped me on Saturday, it’s bad enough he was leaving me to be a professional idol in Korea, he broke up with me a month before he leaves.” She was about to wallow in self pity again.
“Nope … none of that talk here, missy, I told you … the last thing you need is to talk about it,” he stood up and offered her a hand. “Let’s grab something to eat, I’m feeling the munchies.”
“Oh is that what it is? I thought it was weird that I feel so hungry at this time a day,” she took his hand and they headed out to the food stands.
Time moved slow for them, and they enjoyed it so much they forgot that they were hours away from home. Hazel startled herself when she remembered she didn’t have her phone with her.
“Oh no … what time is it? I must’ve left my phone in your car.”
The day had turned dark, Marlon didn’t have his phone with him either.
“I don’t know … you wanna head back?”
“I think we should, my mom’s probably looking for me.”
They went back to the car, and sure enough there were 25 miscalls on her phone.
“Shit,” she started to worry. “My mom …” she opened her messages and there were tons of text from mom, Jan and even Lee.
Marlon could see the look on her face, she was frantic. How different her life was, when there was not a single message on his phone from a worried parent. Just a bunch of nonsense conversation in the group talking about where and when he can join another stupid party.
“Hey, mom, I’m sorry I left my phone in the car,” Hazel called her mom as soon as the car started. She held the phone away from her ear because Claire was screaming through the call.
Marlon smiled, he could hear what she said from the driver’s seat.
“I’m sorry mom … I’m with Marlon, we went to the beach so I left my phone in the car … we’re on our way home now …”
“I’m driving her home right now Mrs. Williams, we’ll be there in an hour and forty minutes,” Marlon said aloud so Claire can hear him.
“What?? An hour forty minutes? Where are you exactly?”
Hazel rubbed her face, “We’re in Brentwood … well he had to charge his Tesla, mom … I’m fine, okay, we’re on our way now.”
“Please keep your phone with you, honey, I was out of my mind … I called everybody, even Lee … sorry about that … ’cause I don’t have Marlon’s number, can you give me his number?” Claire’s voice is now on speaker phone.
“Yes, absolutely Mrs. Williams, you can have my number, sorry about today, Hazel wanted to skip school this morning so I had to obliged.”
“What?? You skipped school?”
Hazel slapped Marlon’s arm, “No, mom, he was just being silly.”
“Well okay … safe driving Marlon, please bring her home safely,” Claire said.
Marlon fell silent, he was touched by how much Claire loved her daughter. “I will,” he replied.
“Have you guys had dinner? I’ll make something for you if you like,” she offered.
“Oh I’m absolutely famished,” Marlon spontaneously responded.
Hazel giggled, “We just ate hotdogs.”
“That’s not food … okay, I’ll prepare something you can stop by and have dinner here Marlon, I’ll see you soon.”
“I love your mom … I wish my mom was like that,” Marlon said as soon as they hung up.
Hazel smiled, she glanced at Marlon who seemed a little sad as he said that. She thought her mom was sometimes a little overprotective of her, but maybe she just took her love and affection for granted.